Several Albuquerque Public School parents said they are outraged that their kids had to wait outside at the intersection of Dennis Chavez Boulevard and 98th Street for hours.

The parents said their children were at the stop at 7 a.m. and had to wait for a bus that didn't show up until well after 9 a.m.

The school district said a mechanical problem was to blame.

Fortunately, some parents were with the children as they waited and wondered when they would get to class.

"I always wait for them to get on the bus, and the bus never showed," parent Adam Marquez said. "They just kept telling me, they're working on it, working on it. There was no way I was going to leave these kids alone with all this going on -- that's ridiculous. They're just elementary students."

School officials said the usual bus broke down as it left the lot and a backup driver didn't show up to work.

The bus company had to call in a second replacement to service the route.

All the issues added up to make students late to at least five schools.

"We just want our kids to be safe, get on the bus safe, and get to school safe. Something like this happens and you kind of question it, you know," parent Jason Chavez said.

The upset parents said they don't want the problem repeated.

"Everyone says they're our future -- what kind of future is this if they're taught it's OK to be late?" Marquez asked.

APS workers said students at four of the schools were only five to 30 minutes late.

However, students who were supposed to be at Rudolfo Anaya Elementary were two and a half hours late.

The district said parents can call its transportation line, the school or the bus company to find out if a student's bus is running late.